Carburetor float valve stabilizer



1958 H. A. CARLSO N ETAL 2,847,021

CARBURETOR FLOAT VALVE STABILIZER Filed June 2'7, 1955 W l E.

FIG.2.

INVENTOR. HAROLD A. CARL SON JAMES T. W. MOSELEY AT LQR NE Y United States Patent V 2,847,021 CARBURETOR FLOAT VA'LVE STABILIZER Harold A. Carlson, Brentwood, and James T. W. Moseley, Richmond Heights, Mo., assignors, by mesne as signments, to ACF Industries, Incorporated, a corporation of New Jersey 7 Application June 27, 1955, Serial No. 518,058

9 'Claims. (Cl. 137-339) V This inventionrelatesto automotive fuel supply devices of the'type' incorporating a constant, level liquid fuel chamber and consists, particularly, in novel means for preventingabnormal orexcessive supply of fuel to the chamber in case of surging in the fuel chamber caused by a change in the speed or direction of travel of the vehicle. e

Suchsurging of the fuel may permit the float to drop and the inlet needle valve to open, so that a spurt of fuel will be admitted to'the fuel chamber. This fuel excessively raises the level in the chamber to greatly enrich the fuel supply, or even cause the fuel to spill out into the carburetor or intake manifold. The result may be temporary uneven operation or stalling of the vehicle, and is noticed particularly when the vehicle is suddenly stopped) Atsuch time, the engine should continue idling, utilizing only the relativelysmall quantity of fuel supplied through the idling system. An excessive supply due to raising of the level in the fuel bowl, as explained above, may seriously affect the operation of the engine.

;In the present invention there is provided an additional inlet valve control, namely, an eccentric baflle or weight or other inertia member which responds to surging of the fuelor 'a change in the speed or direction of travel to urge the inlet valve closed, notwithstanding a momentary dropping of the floati which, otherwise, would permit the needle valve to open.

"In thea'cc'ompa'nying drawing which illustrates the.

invention,

Fig. 1 is a sideview partiallycut away and sectioned, illustrating an automotive carburetor embodying the invention. 1 1

;Fig. 2 isan enlarged detail of the sectioned portion of the'structure in Fig. l, in cluding the fuel inlet valve and its controlling parts.

Fig. 3 is a detail elevation 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The carburetor illustrated is of the downdraft type, including a mixture conduit or barrel 5 and a fuel bowl or chamber 6, within which fuel is maintained at a substantially constant level X--X by means of a float 7 which acts upon a needle valve 8 located in the inlet connection 9 having ports 9a. This connection is threaded in the usual way, at its inlet end, for attachment to a fuel line leading to the fuel supply pump (not shown). In the lower part of the carburetor barrel, there is provided the usual butterfly throttle valve 10, which is operated from the accelerator pedal located in the drivers compartment.

In the lower portion of the constant level chamber 6, there is provided a main metering orifice element 11, controlled by metering pin 12, through which fuel is supplied to main fuel pasage 13 discharging into a venturi tube 14 within the mixture barrel. Fuel for idling is supplied through passages 15 connecting the main fuel passage and idle port or ports 16 located adjacent and slightly posterior to the throttle valve when closed.

Float 7 has a supporting arm 19 pivotally mounted by means of a pin 20 to the depending structure 21 on float and section taken on line I baffle and weight 26 of substantial area, as shown in Fig. 3.

In operation, float 7 acts through arm 19 and lip 23 to control needle valve 8 for maintaining fuel within the bowl at the substantially constant level X--X. When the float drops for any reason, valve 8 is urged open by its weight and the pressure of fuel in inlet 9. The several ports 9a in the inlet member provide for rapid admission of fuel into the bowl .upon opening of .the needle valve. During normal operation, eccentric element 24 oscillates slightly with the float to actuate the needle valve, and does not adversely affect the normal constant level mechanism. However, in case of a sudden slackening of the vehicle speed, the element 24 will be thrown forward by inertia action, causing finger 25 to bear against needle valve 8 and tend to hold the same closed. At the same time, the surging fuel, as indicated by line Y-Y in Fig. 2 acts directly on member 26 as a bafile, applying further force tending to close valve 8. Such urging permits the float to .drop, as to the broken line positioning of arm 19 in Fig. 2

v and, except for the baflle or inertia element, the needle valve would open. Of course, the dropping of the float does not affect this additional control of the needle valve. The eccentric weight and baffle may be mounted otherwise, and may be arranged to respond to dilferent'changes in velocity or direction, in other words, such changes in the condition of motion (or lack of motion) as cause surging in the fuel and resultant change in the fuel level and the level influenced valve control. Moreover, element26 may be of relatively light, broad construction so that its chief effect is due to the surge of fuel against it rather than its own inertia, or vice versa. the weight baflle responds to any such change of movement as would cause surging of the fuel, which would permit the float todrop and the needle valve to open, except for the inertia-baflle control. This application is a continuation in part of a co-pending application, Serial. No. 268,812, filed January 29, 1952, now abandoned. The exclusive use of all modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated. v

Although this invention has been described with particular reference to certain features, embodiments, and functional relationships, various changes will be'apparent to'one skilled in' the art,'and"the"invention is therefore not to be limited to such features, embodiments, or functional relationships except as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a fuel supply device for mobile internal combustion engines, a constant level reservoir having an inlet connection, an inlet valve in said connection, a float operatively connected to said valve to maintain a constant level of fuel in said reservoir, and an additional control for said valve acting independent of fuel level comprising an eccentrically pivoted weight also operatively connected to said valve and displaced substantially from its pivotal support in a vertical direction for urging said valve closed by inertia effect upon sudden change in the condition of motion of the device.

2. In a constant level liquid supply device, a reservoir having an inlet connection, an inlet valve therefor, a float in said reservoir operatively connected to said valve for closing the same when the fuel stands at or above the desired constant level and opening said valve when the fuel drops below said level, and an inertia element acting independent of said float also operatively connected to It is understood that g said valve and capable of horizontal movement relative to'said reservoir, upon sudden change of condition of motion of the reservoir for closing said valve irrespective of the liquid level in said reservoir.

3. In a.fue'l supply deviceior thel1ine of anautornotive vehicle, a fuel chamber having an inlet connection, constant level'maintaining means comprising a valvefor said 'inlet and a, float for closing said. valve when supported by the fuel at orabove the desired constantlevel, and a separate valve control consisting of .an eccentrically pivoted Weighthaving an operative connection to said valve and. displaced substantially vertically of its pivotal supports), as to shift horizontally by inertia elfect, .upon sudden change in .the condition of motion of the device, to independently close said valve and compensate for droppingo'f said float due .to surging of the fuel in said chamber.

4. In an engine fuel supply devicefor a vehicle, a resrvdir having an inlet'fuel connection, an inlet valve in said connection, afloat in.saidreservoiroperatively connected to said valve for actuating the'same to maintain a constant level of .fuel .in said reservoir, and Ya separate valve control having anoperative connection tosaid valve including a .lever .pivoted about an axisat right angles to the normal direction of travel .of .the device, a weight on said lever displaced substantially vertically from. said axis whereby said weightis shifted relative to said reservoir, by inertia effect, .upon .a sudden change in the rate of travelof the device, to close said inlet valve independently and compensate for droppingof saidfloat due to surging in the fuel.

5. 'Inan engine fuelsupply device for a vehicle, a reservo'ir .havingan .inlet fuel-connection, an inlet valve in said .connection,.a 'floatinsaid reservoir operatively connected .tosaidvalve'for maintaining fuel in saidreservoir at a substantially constantlevel, said, float being connected to said valve by meansofa pivoted lever, anda separate inertia control for said valve comprising a bell crank pivoted about anaxis at-right: angles to the normal direction .oftravel of the device and a weight carried on onearm. of said bell crank and displaced substantially vertically from said. pivotal axis, the other arm of said bell crank being interposedbetween said inlet valve and saidfirst mentionedlever-wherebyshifting of said Weight due .to change-in the rate:of travel of the device tends to close said inlet valve independently irrespective of the fuel levelin said reservoir.

6. Inafuel ,supplydevice fonmobile internal combustion engines, aconstant level reservoir having an inlet connection, an inlet-valve:in. said connection, a float operatively, connected. to said valve to rnaintaina constant levelof fnelin said reservoir and positionedin said:reservoirtourge said valveina closing direction. in: response to a surge of fuel in said reservoir in one direction and an additional control for said valve acting independent of fuel level, comprising an eccentrically pivoted weight also operatively connected to said valve and displaced substantially from its pivotal support in a vertical direction for urging said valve closed by inertia eifect upon sudden change in condition of motion of the device, produ cing a surge of fuel in said reservoir in the opposite direction to said first direction.

7. In a constant .levelliquid supply device, -a rese rvoir having an inlet connection,,-an inlet valve therefor, a'sfloat in said reservoir operatively connected-toisaid valve-i'for closing the same when the fuel stands at .or above the desired constant level and opening said valve when the fuel drops below said.level,gand aninertia-baflie element also operatively connected to said valve and capable of movement independently of said float, upon sudden change :of condition .of: motion 1 ofth6;.-I'C$e.1'VQil'j:al1dLS l11'ging .of iuel therein, vfor closing said valve irrespective of the .liquidilevelinthe reservoir.

'8. In a .constant ,levelliguid supply device, a reservoir having, aninlet connection, aninlet valvein; said connec-. tion, a valveactuatingmechanism includingv a float-in said.

nection,..a valve, actuating mechanism.includingafioattin said reservoir operable .to maintain .a substantially. constant depth .of fuel inthe reservoir, and another valve actuating mechanism operable responsive to sudden change .inconditionof motion of theldevice to close said inlet .valve independently of said first-mentioned meeha nism, said othervalve actuating mechanisrn includingta movablemembermounted within said reservoir to :close said valveresponsive to impactofa body ofrfuel moving generally transverse to the depth direction of =th e ,fuel in the reservoir responsiveto a sudden changeincondition of motion of the device.

References Citedin thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,995,228 Shimanek 7.. Marz19, 1935 2,186,128 'Ullstrand Ian.'9, 1940 2,599,073 Sloane June 3, "1952' 

